How to Build a Beer Keg Refrigerator

When bottled beer won't do, build a keg refrigerator.

There are times when bottled beer is enough, satiating the masses at home after long days of work. But nothing comes close to a draft beer. The straight-from-the-keg crispness cannot be recreated with a bottle, leaving the more passionate beer lovers to look for a way to enjoy draft beer in their own home. Having an old refrigerator in the garage may seem like an energy burden or eyesore, but to those who know better, a beer-keg refrigerator is not far out of reach.

Things You'll Need

• Shank, faucet and knob (typically comes assembled)
• Keg coupler
• Shank mount (pour tray) and screws
• Door spacer pipe
• Faucet wrench
• Beer hose and fittings (5 feet by 3/16 inches) and hex nut washer
• Beer hose snap clamp
• Carbon-dioxide hose (4 feet by 5/16 inches)
• Two gas hose snap clamps
• C02 Regulator
• C02 Tank (5 lbs)
• Screwdrivers (Flathead and Phillips)
• Power Drill and 1/4" bit
• 1 1/8" Hole Saw bit
• Hand Saw
• Pencil
• Tape Measure
• Crescent Wrench

Instructions

Installation

1. Measure 43 inches from the floor up the center of the refrigerator door and mark the spot.

2. Drill a straight shank guide hole with the 1/4-inch bit by holding the drill level to the ground.

3. Replace the 1/4-inch bit with the 1-1/8-inch hole saw bit, drilling into the shank hole and stopping before going through the inner liner of the refrigerator door.

4. Finish the shank hole by drilling from the inside out, completing the shank hole through the entire door.

5. Measure 12 inches down from the center of the shank hole, making a horizontal line at the 12-inch mark with your pencil.

6. Align the shank mount tray holes along the horizontal line you just made 12 inches below the shank hole, centering it below the hole.

7. Secure the tray by drilling the screws into the tray at the aligned position.

8. Feed the shank end of the shank/faucet unit into the shank hole, leaving just the knob and faucet on the outside of the door.

9. Confirm the shank fits properly through the drilled shank hole. There should not be much side-to-side motion or play.

10. Hold the faucet end in the upright position on the outside of the refrigerator door while screwing the hex nut onto the shank end of the unit on the inside of the door with the crescent wrench to secure the unit.

11. Connect the inside shank end to the beer hose with the beer hose snap clamp.

12. Make certain the keg coupler is in the "off" position before connecting it to the keg valve.

13. Join the remaining end of the beer hose to the keg coupler at the top of the keg.

14. Attach the carbon-dioxide regulator to the carbon-dioxide tank after confirming both are in the "off" position, and connect the carbon-dioxide hose from the output port of the regulator to the carbon-dioxide input of the keg coupler.

15. Fasten the carbon-dioxide hose to the connections with snap clamps, making sure there are no loose fittings or kinked hose.

16. Set the carbon-dioxide regulator to the appropriate pound per square inch by opening the carbon-dioxide cylinder completely and slowly turning the regulator's adjustment screw until reaching the desired pressure level.

17. Turn the keg coupler to the "open" position, allowing the carbon dioxide to pressure the keg.

18. Place the carbon-dioxide cylinder in a back corner of the refrigerator, and move the keg into its place in front of the cylinder. You can now close the door of the refrigerator and inspect the seal of the door for leaks.

19. Pull the knob with a glass in place under the faucet. There will be a good deal of foam in the beginning, but your patience will be rewarded with cold draft beer in your own home.

Tips & Warnings

• There will appear to be an excessive amount of tube, but do not trim down either tube, as it has been established that this is the appropriate length when dealing with this carbon-dioxide pressure.

• A full-sized refrigerator can hold numerous half-kegs, allowing the brave an opportunity to repeat the steps above for multiple taps in one beer keg refrigerator.

• You are dealing with pressurized components, so safety is crucial; never let the regulator put out more than 40 pounds per square inch. Forty pounds per square inch is adequate for the heaviest of beers, and the kegs pressure-relief valve (safety feature) will release at 50 pounds per square inch, making it impossible to get the beer out of the keg.

• Make certain to have all tubing and valves sterilized, as you will drink this beer.

References

• Kegerators.com
• Micromatic.com